Ecological Construction Methods for the Dahua System Interchange in the Addition of the East-West Freeway to the Wanli Section of the Coastal Line

Ecological Construction Methods for the Dahua System Interchange in the Addition of the East-West Freeway to the Wanli Section of the Coastal Line

This project is in a mountainous area, and any excavation of the slopes may ruin the beautiful scenery and affect the balance of the existing ecological system. Green landscaping, in addition to beautifying the scenery, aids land and water conservation and provides animals shelter and space in which to move around. No matter whether we use artificial plants or natural plants for restoration, slope-stablilization measures must be carried out after excavation as a priority. Especially with the areas near the H ramp and the Wanli-Ruifang road, drilling samples showed that land strata are aligned in the same direction as the slope, resulting in a greater tendency for landslides. Cement should be used to stabilize these places. Growing plants takes a relatively long time, and for this reason, to meet requirements, artificially cultivated plants should used to supplement natural growth. During the construction period, disruption of or impact to the surrounding flora and fauna should be minimized as much as possible. Various measures include：

A. Terrestrial plants
The Malingkeng River valley on the north side of the project area is covered by dense plant growth, and although there are no especially rare plants, the growth is very thick. To promote and protect the river ecology, the plant growth plays a vital role. Construction near affected areas should be surrounded by bamboo fencing, and soil, rocks and waste must be kept from entering the river or ruining greenery on slopes.

B. Terrestrial animals
To minimize the impact of this project on local wild animals, we recommend adopting the following protective measures:
‧ Prohibit the construction crew from hunting or disturbing wild animals .
‧ While landscaping the environment, burning weeds and the use of herbicide are strictly prohibited.
‧ In the construction process, measures should be taken to reduce noise and vibration, thereby avoiding disruption of animals’ activities and habitats.

C. Marine ecology
‧ Settling ponds or earth ditches should be used to reduce suspended solids in water resulting from construction.
‧ While construction work is underway, land and water conservation work should be done to keep dirt and rocks from entering the river and making the water turbid. Water drainage facilities need to meet standard regulations announced by the Environmental Protection Agency.

D. Other
‧ In the development process, the main sources of disruption are construction itself and vehicles causing dust and noise. To minimize the impact of construction and vehicles on the local ecology, water sprinklers should be used in the construction process, and vehicles entering and exiting the site should be rinsed. Noise should meet standards set by environmental regulations, and construction should be avoided at night to reduce unneccesary disruptions caused by construction workers.
‧ The appropriate use of land and water conservation and drainage systems with sand filters should be used to keep mud and turbid water caused by rainstorms from flowing into seawater, causing deterioration of water quality.
‧ Polluted water from the construction workers and equipment should be appropriately collected and processed after which it can be drained into a body of water of sufficient capacity.
‧ Stronger management of operations is needed to minimize excessive digging and displacement of earth and creation of service roads, thereby reducing the scope of disruption from noise and vibration. Also, setting up nets to capture wild animals is strictly prohibited.

E. Maintaining the beautiful scenery
‧ It is a priority for waste, scrap material or other rubbish from construction to be recycled and reused. When reuse is impossible, the material should be moved to a nearby location for temporary storage, and under no circumstances should it be disposed of on the site, causing deterioration of the beautiful surroundings.
‧ Nearby roads that are damaged by construction vehicles and equipment should be returned to their original condition whenever necessary to prevent any impact on traffic.